Numerous mobile devices are currently available that allow a user to send and receive data and stay connected with work, family and friends with relatively few geographical restrictions on the user. The widespread availability of sophisticated mobile devices, such as smart phones or mobile computing devices, coupled with the increased availability of high quality wireless networks, has led to a demand for more access to online content by mobile device users. Online content in the form of streamed data may now be routinely accessed and consumed by mobile device users over various wireless networks. To avoid potential variations in connection quality, or even loss of connectivity, during playback, some mobile devices may cache streamed data locally for later playback.
While caching of data can improve user experience, the data may have restrictions associated with it that cannot be readily enforced if it is cached. For example, if the online content is subject to Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) restrictions in the United States, the content provider may be required to remove access to online content upon notice from a content owner of potential copyright infringement. Alternatively, content may be subject to geographical licensing restrictions, in which the content is freely available only in certain regions and cannot be consumed outside of these regions. When content is streamed online for immediate consumption, the server can easily restrict service by simply not streaming the content if it is restricted or removed. If the content is cached, it becomes more difficult to impose these restrictions. One way to resolve this issue is via digital rights management (DRM) software. However, DRM requires infrastructure changes on the content provider server and typically carries a per-copy license fee to the DRM provider. This may be impractical for user-generated content services such as YOUTUBE and FLICKR.